Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

"Yangzi, where did you find this cook? His skills are a hundred times better than Old Wang's in our field army's mess hall! That bastard Old Wang only knows how to stew cabbage and potatoes for me all day long. I'm so sick of it!"

Li Yunlong ate heartily while praising the food without reservation.

Monk Wei ate with gusto, his mouth greasy, nodding repeatedly: "Delicious! A million times better than the vegetarian food I ate at Shaolin Temple!"

Hearing the praise from the two military leaders, He Daqing was so excited that his face turned bright red, as if he had drunk honey.

"Commander Li, you flatter me. If you like it, come often! Just say the word, Secretary Lin, and I, He Daqing, will cook you something different every day!" He Daqing patted his chest to show his loyalty.

Lin Yang glanced at He Daqing and smiled slightly: "Alright, Lao He, stop standing around. There's still half a roast goose in the kitchen. Cut it up and take it home to eat with Zhuzi and Yushui. Thanks for your hard work today."

"It's no trouble at all! Serving the leader is my honor, He Daqing!"

He Daqing was so excited that he bowed repeatedly and left the room.

As soon as he stepped outside, the cold wind blew, and He Daqing felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. He felt that he had not only found a powerful patron today, but a pillar of strength!

He jogged back to his room and slammed the door shut.

Inside the house, Sha Zhu and He Yushui were waiting for him expectantly.

"Dad, why have you been gone for so long? Have you finished eating over there?" Sha Zhu asked, standing up.

He Daqing placed half a glistening roast goose on the table, pulled over a chair, sat down, and gulped down a mouthful of cold water from the table.

"Pillar, Rainwater. Your father has truly learned something new today!" He Daqing's eyes gleamed with fanaticism.

"Guess who that old man in the tattered cotton-padded coat who was drinking in Secretary Lin's room today was?"

Sha Zhu scratched his head: "Who is it? He looks like an old farmer from the countryside, but that bald, strong man is quite powerful. He slapped that old hag Jia Zhangshi away with one slap."

"A country farmer?" He Daqing sneered. "That's the commander of the Fourth Field Army! Li Yunlong, the renowned commander of the Independent Regiment during the War of Resistance!"

"Hiss—" Sha Zhu gasped. Although he was a cook, he knew of Li Yunlong's name.

"The scary part is yet to come!"

He Daqing lowered his voice, brought his face close to the two children, and mysteriously recounted the "Battle of Ping'an County" that he had overheard outside the door, embellishing the story.

In his words, Lin Yang was practically a god descended to earth, invulnerable to swords and spears, single-handedly taking the head of a general amidst a vast army.

Sha Zhu was thrilled, his fists clenched, and his eyes sparkled.

"My God! Secretary Lin is so brave! He risked his life to save his sister-in-law! That's a real man! That's a true hero!"

Sha Zhu was born to admire the strong, especially peerless warriors like this one who were loyal, righteous, and possessed explosive fighting power. At this moment, Lin Yang's status in his heart had been elevated infinitely, even surpassing that of his own father.

"Dad! From now on, Secretary Lin is my own brother! If he tells me to go east, I will never go west! If anyone dares to say a single word against Secretary Lin in the yard, I, Sha Zhu, will be the first to cripple him!" Sha Zhu declared loudly, his neck stiff.

He Yushui, her face full of admiration, ate the roast goose in small bites, secretly vowing that when she grew up, she would marry a great hero like Uncle Lin.

He Daqing nodded in satisfaction as he observed his children's reactions.

"Alright, eat your meat. Remember, keep the lights on in the yard from now on. Yi Zhonghai and his gang are completely finished. Our He family will be living the high life from now on, thanks to Secretary Lin!"

……

Meanwhile, the Intermediate People's Court.

The icy wind swept by like a knife.

Two full hours had passed since Li Yunlong entered the house.

For those two hours, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and Jia Zhangshi, who was beaten half to death, knelt stiffly on the cold bluestone slab, not daring to move an inch.

It wasn't that they didn't want to get up, but the two armed guards standing at the Lin family's door were staring at them with the same look they had on dead bodies.

Yi Zhonghai's knees had completely lost sensation. The cold air seeped into his internal organs through the gaps in his bones, freezing his lips purple and causing his whole body to tremble uncontrollably.

His heart was filled with endless regret and fear.

He couldn't understand how the prestige of being an "old man" that he had painstakingly built up over ten years of running his courtyard house could crumble in just a few days, to the point where he had to kneel down to others to save his life.

Liu Haizhong was in an even worse state. His fat body offered no protection against the cold wind, and he was now lying on the ground like a dead dog with snot running down his face.

As for Jia Zhangshi, because of the slap Wei Heshang gave her, her face was swollen like a purplish-black steamed bun, blood was constantly flowing from her mouth, and she didn't even have the strength to groan. Jia Dongxu was so frightened that he hid in the house, not daring to show his head.

"Squeak—"

The door to the main room of the Lin family was finally pushed open from the inside.

A wave of heat, carrying the aroma of wine and meat, surged out.

Li Yunlong, wearing that tattered cotton-padded coat, walked out with a flushed face and hiccups from drinking.

Lin Yang and Wei Heshang followed behind.

Upon seeing Li Yunlong emerge, Yi Zhonghai, who was kneeling on the ground, seemed to grasp at the last straw. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his knees, he scrambled forward and frantically kowtowed.

"Commander Li! Sir! Please forgive us! We truly know we were wrong! We were blind to your greatness!"

Yi Zhonghai's voice was extremely harsh, sounding particularly jarring in the silent night sky.

Liu Haizhong also started wailing, "Sir, spare our lives! We'll do anything you ask! We're willing to pay compensation! We're willing to kowtow!"

Li Yunlong stopped and looked down at these pitiful creatures, who resembled ants. His eyes held no pity, only deep disgust.

Monk Wei sneered and strode forward.

He suddenly drew his sidearm from his waist, pulled the bolt back dramatically, and pressed the dark muzzle directly against Yi Zhonghai's forehead.

"Click!"

The crisp sound of the gun being cocked pierced Yi Zhonghai's eardrums once again.

"Commander!" Wei Heshang roared in his hoarse voice, "I've just found out! These old bastards are nothing but local tyrants in this courtyard! They not only oppress the common people, but they also conspired to embezzle Brother Lin's house and money! This is practically persecution of the family of a revolutionary martyr!"

Wei Heshang's eyes widened like copper bells: "Commander, there's no need to waste words with these local bullies! I'll just shoot them all right now, consider it ridding the people of a scourge!"

As he spoke, Monk Wei slowly pressed his finger toward the trigger.

A strong aura of death instantly enveloped Yi Zhonghai completely.